


This is how we rule the world

by Ellstra



Series: Love on the workplace [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Emperor Hux, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Revolution, Separations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-21
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-22 11:28:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6077646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellstra/pseuds/Ellstra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snoke made Kylo leave Hux and it might have been the biggest mistake he had ever done. He would learn that soon when they plot to get each other back with the sweet bonus of getting rid of him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story got out of hand and I don't like too long one-shots so I divided it into two parts. ~~Sorry about that.~~  
>  The name of this story is a paraphrase from the lyrics of "Don't mess with me"

It had been a few months since Kylo Ren had left him and Hux was over the man. Seriously, he couldn't care less. It had been nice when it lasted, he was foolish, he learned his lesson. It was a valuable experience and he was glad for the final proof that you could never trust other people. He didn’t know how much of his decision to leave was Kylo’s wish and how much was Snoke’s doing but he didn’t care too much. Kylo left him, period.

Hux liked to say after Kylo'd left, he worked harder, better and more efficiently than ever. The number of operations gone wrong had gotten so close to zero nobody cared to tell the difference. The hours spent with Kylo taught him to work at his best with four hours of sleep - and now there were more hours to be productive. As far as Hux could tell, Snoke was finally satisfied with his work.

His closest co-workers were of another opinion and some of them were bold enough to tell him. He had never been overly sociable but he used to spend some time with them - on a quiet night on long flights through nowhere however scarce they may be. Kylo had stolen a lot of his time with them but Hux had always found a few minutes to share a drink with Phasma and some of the other Captains. Ever since Kylo Ren had left the ship, Hux had started to push them all away - slowly at first but relentlessly at the end. Nobody had been excited to share a ship with Ren but with him away, Hux was clearly a mess. Some of the Captains pointed out how remarkable it was that Kylo managed to make them worried and pissed even months after he'd left.

Hux tried desperately not to show he thought about Kylo and flinched every time he heard a mention of his name. Nevertheless, he watched closely for all the signs of Kylo; he almost had someone spy on the man before he contemplated it and came to the conclusion he wouldn't be able to keep it secret from Snoke. He wasn’t entirely ready to give up on his wayward lover yet, but there was no way in hell and above where he’d let his superior hear him say it.

Besides, he was over Kylo. Kylo was nothing to him.

But if he decided to come back one day and climbed into Hux’s bed, he’d be taken in with the speed of light.

Hux was too proud to ask Snoke where Ren was; he didn't want the creature to talk about Kylo. Hux was hardly able to stop himself from attempting to murder him as it was. Snoke didn't have to talk about Kylo to make his absence painfully obvious. Everything in Hux’s vicinity reeked of him and the General wasn’t able to tell whether he welcomed or hated it.

Hux's waking hours revolved more and more about fantasies of getting rid of Snoke. It started off as an anger release tool, continued as a way to spend time when he couldn't fall asleep until it evolved into a coping mechanism he could no longer exist without. When he was nervous, he calmed himself down with the image of slicing Snoke’s head off with Kylo’s lightsaber. He knew he should probably talk to someone about that.

Snoke was obviously amused by it because he said nothing against it and there was no way he didn't know. A couple of months into this practise Hux began to incorporate Kylo into his plans. He couldn't help it, especially not in the lonely hours when insomnia kept him awake and he unwillingly recalled Kylo's surprisingly muscular arms holding him close.

Hux wore even more clothes than before and grew edgy and irritable when touched. Soon enough people feared him just like they used to fear Ren. He almost stopped sleeping since the occasional chance of undisturbed sleep wasn’t worth the effort and nightmares. He could spend days behind closed door, running simulations, making plans and sometimes just full on daydreaming of a world without Snoke.

His calculations were almost always correct and yet he was losing his position. He lost the contact with his subordinates he had previously been praised for and became just as detached as all the Generals before him. Everyone knew Hux was heading fast and steady to his destruction. Some were happy – those who thought he did them wrong, those who thrived on corruption and under incompetent leaders – but most tried to get him back. Hux was a fierce enemy but a just commander who didn’t send his troops into unnecessary risk.

Hux wasn’t aware of any of this. All he knew was that the spot in his head he didn’t want to think about woke up again. There was a faint sense of discomfort there one day but Hux dismissed it – he had learnt to ignore headaches long before he’d earned his rank. But when it repeated itself a few times, he realised he had to face the fact he was either suffering from a brain tumour or he was connecting with Kylo again. Both the options terrified him, even though the first one a little more, and he went as far as to get a scan of his brain to make sure he wasn’t dying.

He wasn’t. Which meant Kylo was closer than he had been in the last few months and Hux didn’t know how to feel about it.

…

When you spend a couple of months alone reflecting on your life, you are bound to come to the realisation you are an idiot and made all the wrong choices. It’s always true – the important thing is to what degree. Kylo Ren had to admit most of his decisions were foolish or just plain wrong. Joining Snoke was one of the worst, leaving his Uncle’s training was not. Trying to turn completely dark was one, just like murdering his fellow padawans. Rejecting to be a puppet of the Light side without acknowledging the power of the dark wasn’t. But with utmost certainty Kylo Ren knew that what he felt for Hux and what he had believed Hux felt for him was real and important.

Of course, it could have been a test set up by Snoke. But why Hux? Kylo was almost sure the General would never want to take part in something as mundane as that. Neither was it necessary for him to court Kylo; if it was a trial for Kylo’s strength and ability to avoid distraction, it could have been anyone. The truth be told, Hux was the least probable candidate.

Hux was genuine. When he said he needed Kylo, he meant every single word. When he kissed the ugly, wiry scar on Kylo’s side and said he was a piece of art carved out of marble, he meant it. When he brushed his fingers against the side of Kylo’s face when he thought Ren was asleep. Hux was pure and he needed Kylo.

And Kylo left him – for what? Because Snoke wanted him to follow the training Kylo didn’t want to take anymore. He had hoped it would bring him peace but all it did was tear him apart. Snoke promised freedom but all he offered were restrictions and orders. The first time Kylo had felt calm and like he belonged in a long while was when Hux kissed his temple when he thought he was asleep. Feelings may have been making him more vulnerable but they also made him stronger.

Every revolution begins with a spark. Kylo lit his up when he realised he would tear the world apart just to get more bitemarks from Hux. It wasn’t a noble and brave intention but Kylo wasn’t a noble and brave person. Besides, nobility and bravery did you no good when you were dead.

He wondered how much he could really hide from Snoke. Taking from others wasn’t the same as not giving – and Snoke was more powerful than his usual victims. For safety’s sake he knew he couldn’t wait longer than was absolutely necessary. He listened to Snoke’s lessons, he went on his missions and pretended to be breaking. Not too slow, not too fast but was it enough? He couldn’t tell but he tried not to be bothered by it and he concentrated on his goal.

First, he had to get Hux. Whatever his next plan for getting rid of Snoke was, Hux had to be part of it. Hux had power, Hux had people and Hux was the assurance Kylo needed to believe he might succeed.

It was funny how much Kylo relied on Hux’s support. When he was gloomy and everything seemed pointless and unreachable, he almost convinced himself that even if Hux had cared for him before, he wouldn’t now because Kylo left him, Kylo was a failure too stupid to manage to achieve what he set for himself. His depression kicked in more often than before and he found himself focusing his mind on Hux, trying to bring the General to him so that he could console Kylo like he had done before. Hux never came and in his better moments Kylo could reason with himself and realise Hux wasn’t there to kiss it better. In his worse, he convinced himself Hux hated him.

But he might get Hux later - maybe it wasn’t all just a trick his mind was playing on him. If he did, he would get a genius and hopefully an army willing to follow him. Snoke was very vulnerable once you knew where to find him and didn’t get intimidated by his powers. He just had to make the first move.

Getting Hux was the first point on his list of things to do to overthrow Snoke. It was also the next-to-last – the last was making Hux an Emperor. That was the goal of this whole enterprise – Hux had to rule the galaxy with Kylo at his side.

Ben Solo had attended enough of the political science classes his mother wanted him to take to know democracy had a fancy name and sounded very attractive but it couldn't last. Kylo Ren remembered what Ben had learned. The only thing even more fragile than democracy was a weak totalitarian ruler. A strong Emperor with unrestrained power and common sense was the key to success. No matter what Ben's mother said, the best chance of being a truly good governor was to listen to advice but stand up to your own opinion. Hux was prone to listening to the right people but confident enough not to be influenced by the wrong.

Over all, Kylo had to get to Hux. It wasn't much of a plan but he wasn't the tactician out of the two of them. Hux would know what to do.

...

"You have a new message," Hux's personal computer replied when asked for updates.

"From whom?" Hux frowned. He had all the messages that didn’t have the highest priority or weren’t personal redirected to his other computer; otherwise he could never have enough peace for work.

“The address doesn’t belong to the First Order’s hierarchy. Should I run an IP address check?”

“No, view the message first,” Hux commanded and sat down to his table. The message looked short. _Odd_.

_Hey, China doll,_

Hux’s felt his stress hormones’ levels rising as if something exploded in his chest just behind his sternum. Kylo. Or somebody who found out about the name Kylo had made up for him. Either way, a good reason to be astonished.

_I miss you. I’ve had enough of Wannabe’s manipulation. We belong together. You’re going to be the top._

_Meet me where you first saved me on your favourite day at 2300. Wannabe won’t know of us if you don’t think of him and me too strongly at the same time. (Which I should hope you don’t. That would be so weird.)_

_I need you._

_Always yours, Huffbuff._

Hux ran his trembling fingers down the screen. It had to be Kylo. Hux could almost feel the smirk on his face as he’d written this down. Hux wanted to keep the message; it was the closest to love confession he had ever got from Kylo and it warmed his heart. Fuck all the denial, he was head over heels for Kylo.

“Delete the message and as much of the traces of it as you can find,” Hux said instead. Even though Kylo’s coding would make it look like a spam, he still didn’t need someone wondering why he kept a message like this.

“Shall I trace the IP address before I delete it?” the computer asked.

“No, thank you,” Hux said. He always thanked his appliances even though they weren’t sensible enough to appreciate it. He switched the computer into sleeping mode and stood up. He’d need to take a walk to process this.

There was excitation in his stomach that radiated all around him. Everyone who passed him on his walk remarked how happy and lively he had seemed – something they had never seen in him, especially not in the last weeks. Was Kylo Ren coming back? Were they building another super weapon? It had to be one of those. Perhaps both.

 _Meet me in the room where you first saved me_ , Kylo had written. While Hux valued Kylo’s attempt at secrecy, this seemed more like a game of _you and me trivia_. Hux was more than happy to oblige.

The first time Hux had saved Kylo would of course be Starkiller Base but that wasn't the answer to Kylo's riddle for two reasons. First of all, he really couldn't meet Kylo on an exploded planet. And secondly, the tone of the message was quite sentimental, more than anything Kylo had ever expressed even in his most cuddly moments. Their meeting point would have to be something more significant to their relationship.

 _The room where you first saved me_. The storage where Hux had stopped Kylo from going rogue and hurting himself or someone else for the first time.

Hux's favourite day - he didn't remember ever telling Kylo which day he liked the most. It must have slipped him when he wasn't paying attention and Kylo picked up on that. The realisation warmed Hux's heart. There wasn't much of a point in having a favourite day when they were all alike but it stuck with him from the years when days off weren't empty words. Hux preferred the day before them to the actual weekend for the exhilaration from the aspect of two free days was usually better than the actual weekend.

Hux recalled the moment when he first called Kylo Huffbuff. They were lying in bed, curled up around each other - or rather Kylo sprawled all over Hux and the General trying to fit his limbs somewhere. It was quite early in their relationship – in the times when staying in bed after sex was awkward and overly emotional.

But Kylo had been especially clingy and possessive that night and he felt like he should take care of Hux or rather the injuries he inflicted upon him. Kylo ran his hand down Hux's back, his lips pressed against pale neck speckled with ruby spots that would turn violet in the morning.

"Did I tell you how perfect your skin is?" Kylo whispered and stopped nibbling at Hux's ear to focus fully on his lover.

"You did." Hux nodded and grinned, "You said I was pretty like a china doll and that my skin was perfectly pale for you to create art on it."

"That's right," Kylo mumbled, "you are beautiful though."

"Don't sound so surprised, you Huffbuff," Hux didn't know how he came up with the name – it just was right there in his mind, waiting for him to use it.

"Huffbuff?" Kylo raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"You're buff," Hux supported his theory with a caress of Kylo's muscular thigh draped over his skinny ones. "And you huff all the time."

"That's very thoughtful of you," Kylo laughed.

"Everything I do is thoughtful," Hux muttered but let Kylo kiss him again.

There were a lot of happy memories of their time together. Hux had never allowed himself to think of Kylo's embraces and kisses before; it wasn't necessary when Kylo was with him and it was too painful when he was gone. And redundant - when there was no hope of Kylo coming back, what was the point of dwelling in the past?

Months of suppressed memories flooded Hux's mind - Kylo's rare smile, his smug grin when he embarrassed Hux in front of important First Order dignitaries, the pleasant feeling of exhaustion and slight pain after a shared night. Hux yelling at Kylo for drooling on the pillow because he didn't know how to deal with how adorable Kylo was when asleep. Their never-ending quarrels over the silliest problems that were more often than not provoked for the sake of the make up sex.

In a moment of horror, Hux came to the realisation that should Kylo by some evil twist of fate not come to the meeting, months of acquiring much-needed solace would go to waste, or worse he’d finally shatter under the pressure of feelings he had always known would destroy him. What could he do about it though when the mere thought of having Kylo back made him feel alive?

…

There was a certain sort of exhilaration connected with doing something on his own. Kylo had never done anything against his mentor – and very few things without his order or at least knowledge since he had become his protégé. But the real reason for Kylo’s elevated heartbeat was the prospect of a world where he won’t have to go against him because Snoke wouldn’t be a part of it anymore.

And there was the undeniable joy from expecting Hux. Never forget the sweet bonus of kissing Hux’s pale inner thighs.

Kylo had taken his mask off and left it in his shuttle. He wanted to savour the meeting with Hux as much as possible; it might be long before they see each other again. He was facing the wall with his back to the door to appear like he wasn’t too eager to meet his General, but his senses were on full alert to detect anyone who might be coming in his direction.

It wasn’t quite the time for their meeting but Kylo was already nervous. What if he was caught? Was he really as good at concealing his intentions from Snoke as he believed or was the Supreme Leader using Kylo’s little plot for his own amusement? Ren tapped his left leg frenetically against the floor and sucked in his lower lip. He wondered whether this was how teenagers felt when waiting on their first date. He had never had a date – just quick hook-ups and flirts, nothing planned with space for nervousness. It made him feel giggly.

Finally there was a hint of someone approaching. Before Kylo could check whether it was Hux or not, there was a slight nudge of Hux’s mind against his own. Kylo smiled against his will.

In a heartbeat, Hux was standing in the doorway. They looked at each other, poker faces on, hands hidden on the smalls of their backs. Hux stopped a couple of steps away from Kylo, as if to conceal his reactions but it was easier than breathing to pick up on his quickened pulse.

“Is that a blaster in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?” Kylo blurted out nervously. He was Han Solo’s son after all. Stupid hereditary quirks creep up on you when you least expect it.

His half-meant jape was the catalyst they needed. Hux’s eyes widened as if he only now believed Kylo was truly there and he bridged the distance still between them to slip into Kylo’s outstretched arms. For a few long moments they just held each other, pressing their bodies together to absorb as much of the latter’s presence as possible.

“I almost forgot how small you are,” Kylo whispered into Hux’s hair. He could feel the strings that had gathered up inside him since Snoke separated them loosening. Hux was there and he smelled just as he had before. He smelled of the hair gel he always put on the first in the morning, of cologne, leather and fabric softener.

“I almost forgot how obnoxious you are,” Hux grumbled and looked into Kylo’s eyes. There was the moment of hesitation when they urged the other to say the words first.

“I missed you,” Hux gave in and reached for Kylo’s lips. They tasted just like they always had – of chocolate because Kylo had a sweet tooth, mint chewing gum because he always wanted his breath to be clean, and of the salt contained in saliva.

“I would have you take me right here, right now if only we could,” Kylo sighed after pulling away from the kiss. “But time is money. We have to wait a little longer.”

“Stop babbling and tell me that plan of yours,” Hux growled impatiently.

“I know where he is. We could kill him.”

“I’m quite sure it’s not that simple,” Hux loosened his embrace and stepped back a little. He still held Kylo’s hands in his but he needed to think. “If it were, somebody would have killed him long ago.”

“Who would? The Resistance? Your own troops? Nobody has seen him apart from us, certainly not the opposition. And why would any of your subordinates want to murder him? He doesn’t command, he’s invisible. Whether love or hate, you are the one who receives it. He’s just a shadow.”

Kylo linked their fingers together. He held it up in front of Hux’s face for the General to see.

“We fit, remember? I know what you want; I’ve heard of your heart’s desires and your sorrows and your trauma. You’ve learnt to accept me, moody and incompetent as I am. It’s too late to stop now.”

“We can’t just kill Snoke. He’s powerful and he’ll kill us,” Hux opposed but he didn’t take his hand from Kylo’s. It felt too good to surrender.

“I’m powerful too,” Kylo objected, “I’m stronger than I had been when we were together. And we have right on our side. You should be an Emperor, not some replaceable General.”

“Sometimes I feel like I could believe you,” Hux snickered, “but then you start with your words of grandeur and dreams and I have to laugh. Politics is not some noble quest for the truth; it’s dirty and dangerous and the undercurrents will drown you if you’re not skilled enough.”

“I know plenty about politics, my mother taught me well,” Kylo frowned, “I know it’s awful and I’d sooner die than get involved in it. But you’ll be the Emperor, not me. I’ll be your bodyguard and your paramour.”

“What do you need from me then?” Hux gave in. He did want to get rid of Snoke after all and there was a chance, however slight, that Kylo’s plan wasn’t a complete disaster.

“Loyal, skilled men. Snoke is powerful and while a well-shot blaster bullet should kill him just fine, it might take more fingers to pull the trigger. He’ll have guards of course.”

“Will you be there?”

“Obviously,” Kylo nodded. “They wouldn’t stand a chance without me concealing them. He’d just rip the shuttle they’d be on into pieces.”

“What if we fail?” Hux asked, upset. This whole thing was going all sorts of ways but none of those he wanted. It sounded dirty and too physical to his taste.

“I suppose he’d make me kill you before he took away the sense of who I am,” Kylo replied, “but don’t worry. We won’t fail.”

“When is this to happen?” Hux inquired to appear interested in Kylo’s idea while already contemplating a different plan of his own. Kylo was an exquisite fighter – and a hell of a kisser – but when strategy was concerned he was hopeless.

“That much I can’t say now. You must be ready to set off in twenty minutes after I alert you.”

“Why?”

“He moves around. I will wait when he is on a suitable place close to you so you’d get there in time.”

“You said you knew where he was.” Hux pulled away and began to pace around the room. “What else did you make up?”

“I didn’t make it up. I do know where he is, but it’s half a galaxy away. Before you reached him, he’d be on the other side.” Kylo defended himself.

“We’ll set up a trap and lure him to us then,” Hux said flatly and looked Kylo in the face. “And you’ll be the bait.”

“As long as you come to rescue me, I agree,” Kylo nodded.

“A little trust would be nice,” Hux snarled but he placed his hands upon Kylo’s hips and pulled him into an embrace again. “I wouldn’t let him keep you now.”

…

There was much and more to be discussed, thousands of kisses to be shared and so little time for it. Hux came up with an intricate scheme and Kylo wasn’t entirely sure he grasped all the details Hux was throwing at him and he’d never hope to come up with it himself. It was however laughably simple in its core, just like every good plan was. The basic idea was for Kylo to do what he had been doing in the past few months – plotting against Snoke. Hux pointed out that might not be convincing enough and he decided to form a troop that would be following Kylo’s orders to kill Snoke while Kylo distracted him. Ren promised he could make it appear like he was hiding from Snoke but wasn’t able to conceal all the details of his plan as if he was weaker than he thought. Kylo hoped that wasn’t the reality as well – or he was giving Snoke a splendid little performance.

Meanwhile, Snoke would try to deal with Kylo – that was the weakest link of their chain. They couldn’t be sure Snoke would come solve the situation himself. He might send some minions of his to kidnap Kylo and bring him to their master in shackles. Or he might come to the conclusion Kylo caused more troubles than he was worth and just blow the planet up. They hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

Meanwhile, as Snoke would come to the same planet as Kylo, whatever way that might occur, Hux would lead another unit of men, considerably bigger, to seize the place and help Kylo overthrow Snoke. Simple.

“I’ll give you Phasma,” Hux promised.

“Why her? Isn’t she too valuable for that?” Kylo was surprised. As sure as he was that Hux and Phasma were strictly professional, he knew how close he and the Captain were.

“You’ll give her back, won’t you?” Hux pointed out, “Besides, you have to have someone important with you. That way Snoke should assume the plot to overthrow him is bigger than he’d anticipate.”

“And he’d underestimate us because she’s a woman,” Kylo realised, “he’s stupid enough to think our rebellion is destined to fail just because there’s a woman leading it.”

“Exactly. It should also appear that you are following his orders and keeping your distance from me by dragging my closest colleague to your clique.” Hux sounded unsure. There was something wrong and Kylo didn’t have to read minds to guess what.

“If I wanted to keep you out of this, I wouldn’t have Phasma with me. I’d take some of your opponents.” Kylo frowned and reached for Hux’s chin with his hand to turn the General’s face to his to meet his eyes. “I couldn’t possibly believe she wouldn’t report to you.”

“So you see it too, huh?” Hux gave out a little mirthless chuckle. “The thing is, you’ll have to pretend you’re so over me you don’t care if I know. If you took someone who is against me but you’ve never met before, it would appear like you are desperately trying to keep me out of this. Doesn’t it sound like you’re trying a little bit too hard?”

“I guess. So how am I going to appear uninterested in you while I have your best friend as the leader of my troops?” Kylo had a feeling he wouldn’t like the answer.

“You’ll have a partner,” Hux said flatly, devoid of emotions. His eyes didn’t meet Kylo’s however and his hands were clutched in tight fists.

“Oh,” was the only thing Kylo was capable of saying.

“I – I’ll pick discreet people. Professional. It wouldn’t be anything unusual to –“

“Shut up,” Kylo cut Hux off with a brutal kiss. “You want me to be unfaithful to you?”

He didn’t allow Hux to respond. He peeled clothes off him, layer by layer just like he always had. He wanted to mark Hux as his own, but he knew that if he stopped kissing the General, he’d have to listen to the rational reasons why sleeping with strangers was a good idea. He wasn’t ready for that and Hux stopped fighting him after a little while.

“I belong to you.” Kylo hissed and bit Hux’s lip. “I’m yours.”

“You are and it pains me to even think about giving you to someone else. But it’s necessary if we want to fool Snoke. Nothing will separate us ever again after this, I promise,” Hux whispered, his voice shaking when Kylo stripped him completely.

“Don’t promise future when I’m here now,” Kylo muttered before Hux slipped a hand down his pants and cut him off in the most effective way possible.

…

Kylo disentangled himself from Hux’s limbs and stood up to dress himself.

“One more minute,” Hux mumbled and searched for Kylo’s warm body. He didn’t even care if he sounded eager and clingy anymore, Kylo would have a good idea of that by then.

“You must have said that at least twenty times today,” Kylo complained half-heartedly and he leaned down to kiss Hux’s brow. “Patience, my love.”

“I want you now,” Hux protested.

“Just a little bit longer, alright?” Ren pressed his lips on each of Hux’s cheeks.

“No,” Hux growled and sat up, “you only made it worse when you came.”

“I know,” Kylo shrugged, “that’s just who I am. A heart breaker. Come here.”

Hux slipped into Kylo’s arms once more and let his lover play with his hair. They had come a long way since they first started to shag. Kylo wasn’t allowed anywhere near Hux’s hair and bathroom back then just like Hux wouldn’t have dared inspect the cuts on Kylo’s wrists.

“Stay,” Hux whispered against Kylo’s chest.

“General, what about your dignity? You’re forgetting yourself,” Kylo laughed in response and kissed Hux’s temple.

“You’re telling me about dignity?” The General snickered and mimicked Kylo: “Oh, I’m yours to command. Oh, please, I’m begging you.”

“You’re the worst.”


	2. Chapter 2

"Is there an explanation as to why you gathered a group of First Order soldiers around you?"

Snoke came about two weeks after Kylo and Phasma's unit landed on their chosen planet. Kylo had hoped it would take him longer because the troops weren't perfectly familiar with the planet yet, but he knew he couldn't be picky.

"I refer to them as to my personal bodyguard," Kylo hoped he sounded confident - which he probably didn't - and yet nervous as if he was hiding something.

"Are you so weak that you need a bodyguard?"

There was always something to criticize for Snoke. Kylo wondered why it took him so long to attempt to get rid of the man.

"They feel better than if I called them my minions," Kylo shrugged and smirked, all the while trying hard to hide his intentions in a haze of blurriness that would throw Snoke off his trail.

"The First Order is not yours to command," Snoke said coldly, "you can't just make them yours, whatever you wish to call them."

"They're here quite willingly. Besides, they don't really care all that much who bosses them around."

Kylo noticed Phasma slipping into the circle of her soldiers. She had gone away to send a message to Hux immediately after Snoke arrived. Whether Hux was a great actor or really cared for him would show very soon. Kylo didn’t let it distract him.

“You’re stepping out of your line,” Snoke informed Kylo, “Pride has always been a weakness in your family. Your grandfather who thought he could change destiny? Your mother who spat in the face of several important men who were to decide her fate? Your father who always spoke more than he should? You have to let go of your pride, apprentice. You could never hope for greatness when you’ve not learnt the value of humility.”

“Darth Vader gained great powers in pursuit of changing his destiny,” Kylo objected. _I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Don’t get yourself killed before that,_ Hux had said. It sounded easier than it was done.

“And he could have had more if he sought power for power itself rather than a tool how to save his lover.” Snoke snapped. He stood up and walked closer to Kylo. He was after all smaller than his holograms, and Kylo smiled a little because he realised he had just won a bet with Hux – Snoke was shorter than Kylo himself.

Hux had never understood how Kylo could not know what Snoke looked like in reality. In order to train someone, you ought to meet them personally, right? Hux was an extreme case in this – sometimes he walked through the training stormtroopers, even the children, just to show them who commanded them. Kylo had always thought it was reckless and superfluous, but when did Kylo change Hux’s opinion of something? It bothered Kylo a little that despite paying so much attention to them, Hux felt no pang of conscience at all when he sent them to die.

“I’m not seeking power to save my lover.” Kylo let an image of the girl he had chosen as his partner for the time being slip from his guarded mind. Despite what Hux had told him to do, Kylo couldn’t make himself get intimate with her though he tried to appear to be waiting for when his campaign against Snoke was over. He didn’t really believe Snoke would be so blind to fall for it but he tried anyway. He wasn’t going to listen to Hux’s “I told you so” when they are in hell because their plan didn’t succeed.

“Right. You have nothing to learn from me anymore and you want to get rid of me to rule the world,” Snoke made an almost human expression of contempt. Kylo’s face changed into a frightened one for a blink of an eye before composing again. “And you think you can beat me with this pathetic little group of soldiers.”

“The plan was that they would be here to fire blasters at you for as long as it takes for one to reach you.” The brilliance of Hux’s plan lay in the fact that nothing Kylo had said was a lie.

“How dare you oppose me?” Snoke exclaimed. Kylo had a split of a second to be surprised upon hearing his excited voice before he felt himself held in place by the Force. It had taken him unawares, and he even rose a couple of inches above the ground when Snoke attempted to bring him closer. Kylo recollected himself and concentrating on his hatred of Snoke as well as his affection of Hux – the Dark and the Light side of the Force – and he freed himself to the point where movement was only as difficult as if he was in water.

“You want me to be unhappy.” Kylo shouted to bring more of Snoke’s attention onto himself. Hux was coming and the later he’d be noticed, the better. Kylo had no illusion about being able to conceal all the ships however hard he tried. “What is the point of making me powerful when you’re going to take away everything worth being powerful for?”

“You don’t want power to save your lover, no,” Snoke stopped talking and Kylo could feel his presence brushing against his own consciousness but unable to breach the barriers like he had been. “Your lover doesn’t need saving now but he will soon enough.”

Suddenly there was no need to hide, no need to pretend because Snoke had finally discovered the fleet flying towards them. Kylo lost contact with his surroundings as he struggled to remember not to put all his powers into protecting Hux when he himself was standing right in front of Snoke much more vulnerable.

It was too late for Snoke to take control over the ships as they were almost landing. All he could hope to do was make their descent difficult and bouncy, but they all arrived safely.

“You never should have separated us,” Kylo pointed out coldly and switched his lightsaber on. He didn’t have to wait for anything and now was the time to attack, before Snoke recollected himself. The last thing Kylo did was find Hux in the crowd and wrap him in a protective layer of Force.

Kylo had been right to assume Snoke would have guards around him. He had seen a few of them before, although the most intimidating ones were new to him. He wasn’t sure whether they were Force sensitive or not but something told him he should take every possibility into account.

To his right, Phasma was leading the smaller unit that had arrived with him. He tried to take as much advantage from their shooting and concentrated his strength on the guard who was under fire. Soon enough Hux arrived with his men divided under the command of several of his subordinates. The General wasn’t directly in the fight but rather led the charge from behind which Kylo was grateful for since it was the best he could hope to achieve with him. Standing aside like this, Hux was very easy to spot but at least far and therefore difficult to shoot.

When they had made plans together, Kylo hadn’t anticipated just how many men Hux would bring. Even though a thousand men couldn’t really do too much damage to Snoke, Kylo was optimistic. So far they were engaging Snoke’s guards in their own fight and all Kylo had to do was slip through their circle and beat Snoke. Easy. He had to believe that.

Kylo took a little while to detect the weakest spot in their chain and attacked there with his lightsaber. He could feel Snoke hindering him, Hux’s heart racing and the omnipresent pain of wounded and dying stromtroopers. He wondered how exactly he was supposed to be efficient in battle when there were hundreds of wailing voices in his head. Funny thing was that nobody ever told him how to shut them up.

In a moment the guard he was fighting fell and before another could take his place, Ren jumped inside the lessening space behind their backs and faced Snoke. It was like that silly game he had played as a child where you had a circle of chairs and you had to sit down when the music stopped playing but there was always one chair less than the people playing and the circle got smaller and smaller until only one chair remained.

The first thing Kylo noticed was Hux’s worry. It got muffled soon when Hux realised it might distract him, but it had been there and had the exact opposite effect – it reminded Kylo what he was fighting for. Seconds later he struggled to draw a breath when Snoke constricted his chest. The reason why choking the opponent was so efficient was that it not only left him fixed on the same spot unable to move, but also cut off his ability to think.

Ren concentrated on the blaster shots flying all around Snoke without bothering him, and diverted some of them. Though he couldn’t hope to hit his adversary, he managed to get his attention drop for the split of second he needed to regain his breathing and approach Snoke to face him with his lightsaber.

“You can’t hope to carry this out,” Snoke sneered and Kylo could sense he was troubled. Derision and unnecessary remarks during a fight always meant one thing – fear and attempt to help one’s self-confidence. He didn’t let himself get distracted, and advanced.

Up until now he had never seen Snoke use a lightsaber – he hadn’t even known whether he had wielded one. In this moment however Kylo faced the answers to questions he had never expected to be answered – Snoke not only did possess a lightsaber but was also rather skilled in using it. After a moment’s hesitation he calmed down at the prospect of a combat he knew so well. He could win in a lightsaber fight – he had won almost all of them since certain point in his training, the most painful reminder he wasn’t invincible was the fight with the scavenger girl more than a year ago. But he had been wounded and torn apart after having killed his father then, now he was on top of his powers.

Snoke moved slowly and he tried to hinder Kylo down as well by the Force. He wasn’t able to keep him pinned all the time though – he had to control the battle, make sure the never ceasing fire didn’t hit him and to fight Kylo as well. His powers fluctuated and his young apprentice used every single one of his falters. They danced around each other, only occasionally crossing their weapons in careful waiting for the other to make a move.

Kylo concentrated fully on his fight and didn’t pay much attention to what was going on around him. Not that he trusted the soldiers so much but he did trust Hux. What had seemed impossible a couple of years ago was now reality – Kylo believed Hux had his back and would protect him from the gunfire from as long as was necessary.

Snoke finally lost patience. His guards were fighting ruthlessly and they left heaps of bodies behind them but they were outnumbered too greatly not to go down one by one because of the astonishing numbers Hux had brought. Something had to be done for if he waited for them all to die, he would have to face not only his apprentice gone rogue but the mass as well. The biggest advantage they had – besides their numbers – was their uniformity. Though many units with different weapons and different fighting styles, they cooperated well and efficiently. They were sure to lose a certain degree of their effectiveness when left without a commander.

Snoke wasn’t able to determine how Kylo would react to it but there was a chance of him losing his temper and becoming reckless when Hux was dead. And that’s what it was all about after all, wasn’t it? To make Hux the Emperor. What would the goal be good for without him? It was so obvious Snoke couldn’t understand how he had believed Kylo had given up on Hux. He never wanted to rule the Galaxy, he was scared of responsibility. He wanted to be in control of the man in control.

Taking Hux down should have been easy.

Except it wasn’t easy at all. Only now did it occur to Snoke just how powerful Kylo was, even without knowing the darkest secrets of the Force. There was a shimmer of Light in the way Kylo handled the Force and Snoke found himself unable to fight both sides at the same time. He had always told Kylo to master the raggedness of his soul but this is not what he had meant. The promise for the Dark side was there – just like for the Light – but Snoke had assumed the best way to train Kylo was to make him reject his natural inclination towards Light. Well, his bad, it seemed. Kylo held Hux in a protective cocoon of the queer mixture of the Force and he didn’t give Snoke a chance to take it apart.

Kylo slashed his lightsaber in the direction of Snoke’s head and managed to leave a cut on his left shoulder. Snoke roared, a sound so terrible it was once more obvious just how little humanity there was in him. Kylo darted forward to attack Snoke’s injured arm again but right when he raised his weapon to strike, he knew he had done a mistake. He was too reckless and attacked too soon, encouraged by the sight of Snoke’s blood. He had to dart away from Snoke’s swishing lightsaber and thanks to his speed he stumbled. All Snoke had to do was push him a little to get him on the ground.

Kylo fell and knocked his breath out for a little while. He made a tiny noise as he struggled to inhale and pulled himself up to sit, attempting to stand up but failing. He knew he had to calm down to ease the cramp of his chest but that was easier said than done. He was too preoccupied with his flailing breathing to wonder why Snoke had turned away from him instead of taking advantage of his vulnerability.

He learned the hard way as he finally drew a shaky breath and looked around, puzzled. Snoke was staring in the direction of Hux and apparently concentrated on him. Kylo strengthened his barriers around his lover and rose to his feet, meaning to use Snoke’s distraction to his advantage.

Snoke caught a wayward blaster shot with the Force and changed its direction. Kylo could only watch Hux getting hit in his side, collapsing to his knees and screaming in pain. Ren’s eyes widened as he watched the General fall and a cry of anger escaped his throat. His grip on his lightsaber tightened as he ground his teeth together in a silent fit of rage.

“Oh, I killed your boy toy, didn’t I?” Snoke laughed in attempt to provoke Kylo to do something rash. Kylo looked into the cold eyes that used to haunt him at night and concentrated on his feelings, gaining strength from them. His hate for Snoke, cold and red-hot at the same time, and it made him calmer than ever. His love for Hux, who was screaming in pain within Kylo’s consciousness. He was screaming and in pain but he was alive, so alive and so important.

The Force filled Kylo, enveloped him and merged with his very being as it never had before. He was invincible, he was a master of the Force and he was furious.

Kylo Ren locked his former teacher in a vortex and stroke at him with his lightsaber. He swung it and spun it above his head with the exact amount of rage to make it fast and powerful but still controlled. Snoke fought back but he had difficulties blocking Kylo’s quick and easy blows and keeping away the suffocating wave of the Force that slowed him down. Kylo was strong as his conviction and he danced around Snoke as if it required no effort. He was clearly winning, holding Snoke in smaller and smaller circles but apart from the risky cut to the shoulder that cost him his breath and got Hux injured, he didn’t hit his target.

The fight around them broke down into brawls, kicking and screaming without Hux’s guidance, just like Snoke had anticipated. It was turning into bloodshed – Kylo caught glimpses of shattered armour, bloodied ground, spilled entrails. He had to end it. All the suffering and gore made him feel sick like it never had before. It must have been the trips to the trainings of the troops he had made with Hux so long ago but he felt awful watching people die. The purpose they had in life was to fight and it didn’t seem much but as Kylo saw them lying motionless or writhing in pain, it seemed enough.

There would be no victory without risk. And Kylo needed to win. He screamed because he wouldn’t be able to do it otherwise and ran straight against Snoke in a headless, desperate charge. This time he did hit even though he couldn’t be sure what exactly. Snoke gasped and hacked his lightsaber against Kylo who leaped away just in time. There was a sizzle and a slice of burnt fabric fluttered to the ground as Snoke’s weapon caught Kylo’s cape.

Kylo regained his balance. Upon inspecting the wound he had inflicted on Snoke he found blood dripping to the ground. He couldn’t see the source but as he made a few quick thrusts, he noticed Snoke was slower and he breathed with difficulties. Kylo was painfully aware of the time. Though he could probably wait for Snoke to wear out, he had to act. Hux needed him.

Kylo recalled a few of the hand-to-hand combat trainings he had taken just so that Hux couldn’t say he was a crybaby hiding behind a shiny stick. Sometimes the best tactics was to hit your opponent into an existing wound, which could even knock them unconscious. He had never combined the two techniques before and he hoped he wouldn’t hit himself with his own lightsaber. He found an even piece of ground and kicked Snoke in the stomach. His adversary gasped and his eyes popped in shock. Apparently he had never been kicked before. Ren followed his attack with his lightsaber and slashed, aiming for Snoke’s head.

Snoke ducked but it was with obvious effort. Kylo kicked him again and this time, his former teacher collapsed to the ground.

“You shouldn’t have separated us,” Kylo hissed, repeating his words and hacked Snoke’s disfigured head off.

Everything that followed was blurry and fast. All the monsters Snoke had used as his guards froze as if they only now remembered they had personalities of their own and didn’t want to fight. They turned around and fled. The troops stopped fighting, stared around them for a while until someone cheered uncertainly. Hundreds of voices joined him. Kylo didn’t hear them. He ran to the direction where he had last seen Hux as fast as he could despite his exhaustion and shaky legs. He searched for his lover within his mind but Hux was quiet. Kylo refused to believe he was dead, he couldn’t be dead, not after everything, not after they had killed Snoke. But there were so many people, injured, screaming, dead that hindered him. He lost his direction, he couldn’t breathe and his body finally shut down from the exertion.

…

Hux woke up in a room he didn’t recognise, and he regretted opening his eyes immediately. His head felt detached and swimming in a haze of what he assumed were painkillers, he felt sick like that time when he took a ride in a TIE fighter with an overexcited pilot, and his body was on fire that seemed to origin in his left side. Moving didn’t seem like a good idea so he tried to get as much information as possible about where he was just by looking around.

He was in a medbay of a ship. He wasn’t able to tell whether it was familiar ship or one he’s never been on. His chest was bound in some sort of bandage, there were vials attached to various parts of him and at the edge of his perception the obligatory beeping of a monitor.

Hux frowned. He tried to remember what lead to him getting stuck in a medbay and failed. He had set out to help Kylo and his unit against Snoke after Phasma had called, he remembered landing on the planet and that was where everything became hazy and shapeless.

"Good afternoon, General," a young man in the medical uniform greeted him. "How are you?"

Hux tried to answer but his vocal cords didn't agree with him. He tried to clear his throat and coughed heavily, which sent darts of pain through his torso. He closed his eyes in agony and hoped he'd pass out again.

"Marvellous," he panted after he decided he wasn't going to faint after all.

"There's someone who's been bothering me to let him to you," the medic said while he was checking Hux's vitals, "he was quite aggressive."

 _Kylo_ , Hux smiled and blushed. He glanced at the medic who was watching him with a cheeky smirk. Hux frowned at him and regretted that he had no power over the scientists. He would kick this one off the ship right that instant.

"I suppose I should let him in?" The doctor asked and adjusted a cannula in Hux's arm.

"Yes, please," Hux bit his tongue. He shouldn't have said please to the smug idiot. He really must be high.

"I'll need to take off some of the bandages but it can wait," the medic informed him and grinned, "don't get hurt."

Hux was too tired and too dosed up on painkillers to show the man his place. He closed his eyes shut for a while to stop his head from spinning.

"Hey, China doll," Kylo whispered out of nowhere and took Hux's hand. His palms were warm and rough and enormous compared to Hux's frail one.

"Did we win?" Hux asked feebly.

"We did," Kylo replied and kissed Hux's fingers one after another. "You were broken a little but we'll make you pretty again before you are crowned."

"What's the situation?" Hux inquired, already back in the role he had always been playing.

"As it had been, except for the first time in my life I have no one telling me what to do." Kylo shrugged, "I missed you."

"I wish I could say that but I'm glad I can remember you right now," Hux chuckled and shook again with a suppressed fit of cough. He opened his eyes at last and found Kylo's worried eyes fixed on him.

“What’s the matter?” he smiled, “Never seen anyone wounded?”

“Not really,” Kylo sighed and sat down on the bed beside Hux. The mattress shifted slightly and Hux hissed as it moved. Kylo jumped up. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright, come back here, you idiot,” Hux pulled at Kylo’s hand.

“I already got you hurt once, I don’t want to make it worse,” Kylo argued but he sat down anyway, very slowly this time.

“You can hardly make it worse,” Hux sighed.

“Sorry,” Kylo apologized again and looked away.

“Why do you keep saying that? You killed him, didn’t you?” Hux said with annoyance in his voice. He wanted his snarky, sarcastic Kylo Ren, not this whiny baby.

“It’s my fault, your injury,” Kylo explained, “I was too haste.”

“Shut up,” Hux stopped him, “shut up and kiss me already.”

Kylo seemed like he was going to protest but he changed his mind when he noticed Hux’s frown. He bent down carefully, put his forearms on either side of Hux’s head and kissed his lover. It wasn’t the best of their kisses, it could easily be classified as the worst, but it was worth it. Hux shuddered when he felt something wet hit his cheeks and roll down to his ear where it tickled. He opened his eyes and found Kylo weeping into their kiss.

“So I finally made you cry,” he breathed out and Kylo chuckled and sniffed.

“I’m just happy that you’re still here,” Kylo said and kissed Hux before he could be asked to explain his words. Hux ceased thinking about it soon enough. Kylo was there, willing to kiss him even if he must have looked like hell and tasted even worse. How many days had he been lying there without taking a shower or brushing his teeth?

“I love you,” it escaped his lips before he could think about the consequences. Kylo pulled himself up and scrutinized Hux’s expression. The General returned his gaze firmly, to his own surprise. But his words were true and he meant them. He did love Kylo. It used to be want, need and even care for but those words weren’t enough anymore.

Kylo’s lips formed a smile that widened and turned into a toothy grin. “I should have got you high sooner.” He said and kissed Hux’s nose. “I love you too. I don’t know why but I do.”

“You don’t know why?” Hux pretended to be offended, “I’m smart, attractive and willing to sleep with you.”

“Willing?” Kylo snorted, “You’re desperate to sleep with me.”

“I’m not desperate,” Hux’s protest dissolved into a whimper when Kylo slid his hand down his inner thigh. It was just a light touch but it promised so much more.

“You’re not desperate,” Kylo laughed and kissed his partner again, “of course you’re not.”

“Alright, I am,” Hux grumbled and he grabbed Kylo’s butt, “but so are you.”

“Agreed.”

“If someone told me we’d end up like this when we first met, I’d have him shot,” Hux said after a while. Kylo pulled away a little and watched Hux with amusement.

“You’d have him shot because you didn’t want to admit to yourself how much you craved me, because he found out or because you were scared once it was said aloud it wouldn’t come true?”

“Oh, you’re so hilarious,” Hux snorted, coughed again and nodded in answer to the silent question in Kylo’s eyes.

“I’ll restrain myself before you can laugh properly. It would be stupid if you died now.”

They stayed still for some time and just savoured the moment. Hux closed his eyes because he was still dizzy and tired. He felt like he might fall asleep right that instant but he didn’t want to send Kylo away. He was still in pain and it was easier to believe things would get better when he wasn’t alone.

“What are we going to do now?” he asked when he woke back into reality as Kylo brushed against him in search of a more comfortable position.

“I kind of thought you had a plan.” Kylo replied and sat up. Hux’s eyelids parted heavily and he frowned.

“No, not really. I just wanted to have you, safe and far away from him.”

“Aww, you’re such a sweetheart,” Kylo cooed.

“Well that’s what I’m known for, the sweetness of my heart,” Hux smirked and laid his hand on Kylo’s knee.

“Of course you are.”

“Excuse me,” a thin, shy voice came from the door. They turned their heads towards it, wondering how long they had been watched. There was a different medic this time, which probably explained the insecurity that would never come from the previous one.

“I don’t want to disturb but – uh – your bandages should be changed. Sir.” It was a young blonde with bright blue eyes hidden behind glasses. He was tall and lanky, even thinner than Hux.

“I’ll make room for you,” Kylo stood up and looked at Hux with question in eyes. He got a tiny nod and smiled a little before he bent down and pressed a light kiss to Hux’s forehead.

“I’ll come back later,” he promised.

“You always come back,” Hux teased. Kylo grinned and turned around to leave the room. He glanced at the medic who was red as a beetroot with his eyes fixed on his shoes.

Kylo only wondered how long it would take for the rumour that he was with Hux to spread. It never occurred to him that it wouldn’t really be any news to most people.

…

“All hail the Emperor!”

Kylo thought it was the most ridiculous ceremony he had ever attended and he had seen a couple of Wookie ones. But Hux looked so good in the posh, impractical clothing so unlike his usual garb and smiling slightly under the weight of the thin silver diadem around his temples. Kylo’s eyes didn’t leave him for a second; he could hear he was the only one because everyone else apparently was watching him staring at Hux and devouring him with his sight only. Well, _fuck them_.

Hux made a proud pose in attempt to look regal and detached and failed miserably when he caught Kylo’s glance. They had spent two weeks of Hux’s recovery just talking and kissing and it had been the nicest two weeks of Hux’s life. He had had to work of course – and he really wanted to – but Kylo teamed up with his medics and they constantly took his work away with the most stupid excuse of all: “You need to rest.” He would have gone mad had it not been for Ren who apparently had absolutely nothing to do than to kiss every accessible inch of Hux’s skin and tell terrible jokes. Kylo was around all the time and after a few days he got a cot in Hux’s room and slept there as well. It felt like having a sleepover, which was something Hux had never even dreamt of. He came to know a side of Kylo he had never hoped to see and it made him feel so utterly happy he suddenly shut down and pushed Kylo away. He had been in terms with never really being content, he had never had what he wanted and now when he did, he had no idea how to deal with it. It felt too good to be true. Kylo had to be playing with him or he would get bored and Hux felt he would never get over that with his mind intact. It took them three days to work it out and the stress allowed their relationship to grow stronger.

Kylo returned Hux’s gaze proudly and he smirked. Hux would probably not see him from across the vast hall – not with his aversion to getting new contact lenses when he needed them because he though having a bad sight was his fault somehow – but he’d sense Kylo’s emotions. The best part of the day was yet to come and they were both impatient to finally get round to it. There still were hours of tedious official ceremonies to do and Kylo would kill for a chance to get away but he couldn’t – Hux wanted him there and that was a stronger motivation than anything else could hope to be. At least they should be sitting side by side for the official banquet.

They were but they barely got to say a word to each other. Everyone was anxious to speak with the Emperor even though some of them could barely conceal their hate for him, as Kylo saw. It made him furious and Hux had to slip his hand under the table to caress Kylo’s thigh to calm him down a couple of times. It helped a little but Kylo wanted to scream anyway. He wanted to tell the self-important morons that Hux is not an idiot, that he wouldn’t give them power just because they praised the roasted chicken. It was like those dinners Ben had to go through before his mother acknowledged he was old enough to take care of himself. Everything would have been much easier with a lightsaber and there was only the thought of how much work had gone into this enterprise of making Hux an Emperor which would be wasted that kept Kylo from flipping the table.

Hux was aware of Kylo’s discomfort. He knew how much his lover despised politics and how much he desired to leave. It made his heart swell with affection for his mess of a knight who stayed there with him nonetheless. He tried to send him reassuring vibes through their connection but he didn’t know if he succeeded.

About three hours into the reception Kylo slipped his hand into Hux’s and they stayed like that for half an hour, daring everyone to judge them. Nobody dared to do it openly but Hux could see them looking at his partner with badly hidden nosiness and contempt and he knew it was a matter of minutes before Kylo lost it. He was getting weary too. His doctors warned him he was rushing things but he didn’t want to wait too long. Now, looking at Kylo’s pissed off, pitiful face he wished he had listened to them.

Finally, it was over; even the most persistent toadies had gone and they were finally alone with the remains of the feast around them. Kylo made sure everyone was gone and he let out a deep, throaty growl. Hux looked at him with lenient, amused smile and patted his back.

“I’m sorry,” Hux apologized when Kylo finished his outburst. Hux was grateful nothing was broken.

“I’m never going to marry you,” Kylo uttered. They looked into each other’s eyes and Hux raised an eyebrow.

“I never said I wanted you to,” Hux said, watching Kylo’s face closely. And of course, he tricked the knight again.

“Oh,” Kylo whispered and his expression changed.

“You’re such an idiot,” Hux laughed and took Kylo’s face into his hands.

“Please never make me go through this again,” Ren begged and grasped Hux’s hands into his. “Don’t make yourself go through this. It’s not worth it. They’re idiots, they hate you, they just want you to give them power –“

“I know that, Huffbuff,” Hux smiled, “I don’t expect you to understand, but it’s what I want.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, I can’t explain it. I just need to be on top.”

“You already are on top.”

“Yes, now I am.” Hux smiled smugly. He took his gloves off and laid them on the table. “I’m going to reward you for your patience tonight.”

“Tonight?” Kylo let Hux grasp his chin with two fingers and pull his face closer.

“Not yet,” Hux said apologetically and ran his thumb across Kylo’s lower lip, “we have work to do.”

“Why do you hate me?” Kylo whimpered.

“I don’t hate you. I’m merely using your infatuation with me for my own purposes.” Hux smirked. It was beginning to look like a very interesting night even if there was still some time before they’d get to it. He planned to celebrate his new title as well as his reunion with Kylo with a proper and thorough sex. If he didn’t count their haste hook-up when Kylo came to work on their plan to get rid of Snoke, they hadn’t been together for longer than they had been. The prospect of stripping Kylo and worshipping his body made Hux more excited than he would like.

“I thought we were doing all this so that we won’t have to work ever again,” Kylo accepted this new game and simpered when he glanced at Hux’s crotch. He had won already and they both knew it.

“No. We were doing all this so that when I work, nobody tells me what to do.” Hux drew his face closer to Kylo’s. They could feel each other’s breath against their cheeks.

“And what’s in it for me?” Kylo licked his lips, slowly and carefully as if he did it for living. Hux didn’t want to lose another level of the game by kissing the plump lips but his resolve was failing him.

“When you work, nobody but me tells you what to do?” Hux raised an eyebrow and bridged the distance between them.

“I really should have read the tiny scribbling at the bottom of the contract,” Kylo muttered when they pulled away.

“Don’t be such a baby.”

“A baby? Would a baby do this?”

Kylo ran his palm over Hux’s lap and he made a “see?” face when Hux let out an involuntary whine of pleasure. Kylo got on his knees and pushed Hux to the edge of the chair. The newly decorated Emperor tried to protest but his body betrayed him.

Kylo pushed away the sash with Hux’s decorations and unbuttoned his trousers. They were tighter than Hux usually wore and getting inside his underwear wasn’t easy but Kylo was patient. When he finally freed Hux’s cock, it was already hard and swollen. He licked the tip and blew some air against it – it made Hux shudder just like it always did.

It was ever a wonder to see Hux’s collected posture crumble under Kylo’s touches. Kylo put all his efforts into this particular blowjob – if there was one thing for Hux to remember about him, it would be this very moment. It didn’t take long before Hux’s back arched and he let out an obscene moan. Kylo swallowed, let go off Hux’s cock and remained kneeling under him.

“You might be telling me what to do, but look at you now. I can do whatever I want with you,” he murmured, his voice a little shaky.

“We’ll see about that in the evening,” Hux promised.

“Of course we will,” Kylo nodded and accepted Hux’s kiss.

…

“Wow I thought today would never end,” Kylo exclaimed and fell into the bed in Hux’s quarters face first.

“I’d take you right there right now, just like you are,” Hux growled.

“Why don’t you?” Kylo asked, his voice muffled by the blankets, “You have my full support.”

“There’s something I want to do before we fuck each other’s brains out,” Hux replied and he ran a hand from Kylo’s ass down his thighs.

“Don’t say that and then do this,” Kylo moaned.

“Stand up, please,” Hux asked and walked away to get something from his cabinet. Kylo turned around with curiosity.  
“Please? We’re doing it the nice way today?” He asked and took off his boots.

“Where do the shoes belong?” Hux raised an eyebrow and pointed to the door with his head. Kylo rolled his eyes but he took them beside Hux’s.

“Come here,” the Emperor motioned for Kylo with a big, dangerous-looking sword.

“Are you going to cut my head off?” Kylo joked and caught the wide sides of the blades between his fingers. “Wicked.”

“No. Stop joking,” Hux looked Kylo in the eyes, trying to get him to listen. Ren noticed his expression and swallowed a sarcastic remark.

“Now that I am an Emperor, I need a guard of honour,” Hux said solemnly and he linked his gaze with Kylo’s, “and I’d like you to be the head of it.”

“I don’t care what you call it. I’ll fight everyone and anyone who’ll try to take your ass away from me, for whatever reason.”

“You’re making it very difficult for me not to strangle you right now,” Hux sighed.

“Oh. I’m sorry,” Kylo put on a puzzled expression. “Are you proposing to me?”

“In a way I do, I suppose,” Hux agreed and flush crept up into his face.

“Oh.” Kylo stared and upon noticing Hux’s expression, his eyes brightened. “You had to ask?”

“Yes.” Hux’s stiff face changed into a tiny smile. He could feel the knots in his chest loosening.

“Then I accept. Are you going to hack my head off now?”

“I won’t cut your head off, what good would that bring me? If I wanted to do it, I would have years ago.” Hux shook his head in disbelief. “I’m going to dub you my knight.”

“I already am a knight,” Kylo pointed out.

“You’re not a knight just because you call yourself that,” Hux explained, “kneel, please.”

Kylo obeyed and went onto one knee in front of Hux. The situation was absurd and yet intriguing. He liked roleplaying anyway. The wider part of the blade touched his right shoulder, then his left.

“Do you promise to serve me loyally under all circumstances?” Hux asked seriously.

“I do,” Kylo replied, touching the blade with his right hand.

“Rise,” Hux invited him, set the blade aside and snatched a cloak from behind him. He clasped it around Kylo’s shoulders.

“I don’t think you’ve ever put clothes on me.”

“There’s a first time for everything,” Hux shrugged.

“It looks cool.”

“It suits you,” Hux pointed out, “You’ve got to be the most beautiful Emperor’s guard ever.”

“Can I get my reward now?” Kylo grinned and jumped into the bed.

“That depends,” Hux took off his crown, “Have you earned it?”

“I didn’t have to. You just love ravishing me.” Kylo stretched himself like a cat, showing his muscles.

“It’s going to be a long night with this attitude.” Hux took off his own ermine cloak and let it fall to the ground.

“I should hope so,” Kylo purred and closed his eyes in anticipation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darn, fights are difficult to write down.  
> I hope you enjoyed this, please let me know.  
> The next piece in this series will be an alternative to this story, stay tuned.


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